Alaska Airlines’ 1st Europe Flight Launches This Month – Delta Is Already Fighting Back

Alaska Airlines is preparing to cross a symbolic frontier. On April 28, 2026, the Seattle-based carrier will launch its first-ever nonstop flight to Europe, linking Seattle and Rome with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner inherited through its merger with Hawaiian Airlines. What could have been a straightforward network expansion story is increasingly becoming something much bigger. This is now a premium transatlantic showdown in one of the West Coast’s most strategically important long-haul markets. Strong early demand prompted Alaska to upgrade the route from its original four-times-weekly plan to daily seasonal service, underscoring its serious view of Seattle as a major global gateway.